English National Ballet to Open Doors for Open House Festival 2026
Artistic Director Aaron S. Watkin invites visitors behind the scenes at the company's RIBA award-winning building.
On Saturday 19 September, English National Ballet will open its doors as part of Open House Festival 2026.
Throughout the day visitors will have the chance to explore English National Ballet's award-winning home in East London and discover the inner workings of a professional ballet company. As part of this city-wide celebration of architecture and creativity, English National Ballet will offer a packed programme of free events, giving people of all ages the chance to experience the magic of live dance and music up close.
From watching the dancers and musicians rehearse to taking a behind the scenes tour, visitors can discover how world-class ballet is brought to life. During the day there will be opportunities to join workshops, meet the talented teams who make each production possible, explore costumes and exhibitions, enjoy wigs and make-up demos, and more.
Aaron S. Watkin, Artistic Director of English National Ballet, said: “We're excited to welcome everyone into our home again this year for Open House Festival. This is where we create, rehearse and come together every day, and we're thrilled to share that experience with visitors. Whether you're discovering ballet for the first time or have loved it for years, we hope you feel inspired to explore, ask questions, and experience the energy that goes into all that we do here at English National Ballet.”
What's On: Highlights from the Day
- Watch Company class, dancer and orchestra rehearsals, and hear from the artists behind English National Ballet's work.
- Take part in a workshop, from Family Dance to Adult Ballet and a Bhangra Ceilidh.
- Go behind the scenes and take a guided tour of English National Ballet's RIBA award-winning building.
- Get up close with the history of the Company, see beautiful costumes and find out more about what it takes to run a professional ballet Company with a range of exhibitions.
- See wigs and make-up demos from our expert team.
- Get creative and take part in arts and crafts activities inspired by the Company's upcoming production of Romeo & Juliet.
- BSL interpreted dancer rehearsal and tour
All events are free. Building tours and workshops need to be booked in advance. Bookings open on Wednesday 19 August. Please visit Open House Festival 2026 - English National Ballet for more information and booking details.
All activities are accessible to wheelchair users. BSL interpreted dancer rehearsal is at 11.15am and guided tour at 1pm.
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